The Ring of Power has been destroyed and Middle Earth has entered into the 4th Age. King Elessar and Queen Nauriel rule Gondor and for several years Middle Earth has been without conflict. But that time of peace has now come to an end.

The minutes seemed like hours to Serethiel. As night fell the city grew quiet and a stillness came over everything. Serethiel was exhausted, but she refused to rest, even though Nauriel begged her to. Serethiel was not going to leave Conleth. She could feel how weakened he was...for it was reflected in her own body...a true sign of their intense bond. Nauriel, Lindariel, and Beren remained with their mother, each giving the other some comfort.

Elisa had stepped away from the others for a moment. She found a quiet spot overlooking the city and her breath was taken away by what she saw. Even under the cover of darkness it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Elisa had never been outside of Rohan before this journey...let alone seen a city like this. She had heard stories, but none of them did the White City justice.

Beren hadn’t seen much of Nauriel over the years but she was still quite lovely. He ofcourse hadn’t aged a day outwardly just like Ithilwen. He hugged her tightly as he spoke to her softly so that the others could not hear.

“It has been difficult to live without my sister these years. Shutting one another out like we have has been like shutting out a part of myself. I wanted to ask you advice involving Ithilwen. She wants more children...I love our children but I am so busy now. Gehenna is growing every day. I worry that I will not be around enough to raise them. You know I hate to deny her...hell I have never been able to before. Now that you have Elfwine, what has it been like?” He asked.

A healer called Serethiel in to converse with her. She had a grave face but not any worse then it had been before. She made certain they were far enough back into the treatment room to talk. “We think we have discovered what ails Lord Conleth mylady,” she said. Her name was Elsbeth, a half elf herself. “It is a poison, very rare and difficult to detect. It is unlikely that he ingested it by accident. Is there anyone who might hold a grudge or have reason to want to harm him?” She asked. Over the years Conleth had made a few enemies. Many were merchants who wanted to gauge their people for extra profit or raiders who he had left alive. But poison was usually a woman’s weapon.

ooc: I'm going to leave that open to give Serethiel a little mystery to unravel when they get back. Muhahaha

Nauriel had missed her brother dearly and was grateful for his comfort. She stood with him off to one side of the room so that they could speak quietly. She wasn't surprised to hear that Ithilwen was wanting more children. She had told her so the last time she had been in Gehenna and had held Elfwine.

"This decision is not mine to make Beren, nor should you feel obligated to give in just to appease Ithilwen. However, that being said I will say that all of your other children are long since grown and have children of their own now. Finding Elfwine and bringing him into our lives has been wonderful...but you know how much work children are...especially when they are young...but I would not change a thing."

Serethiel slowly got up and followed the healer into the next room to speak with her. She knew Conleth still lived, but still feared what the healer might tell her. However, of all the things she was expecting to hear her say...telling her that her husband had been poisoned was not among them.

"No one that I can think of," Serethiel answered honestly. "I mean there are always some people who are not happy for one reason or another...but nothing that would cause them to want to kill my husband. Will he survive this?"

ooc: I did alot of running around today and finished up a few small projects I put off. I have an intro in mind.

"He is..out of danger but his blood has become toxic," she said calmly and also softly. "The poison is quite rare and is designed to attack the immune system. We are giving him medicines to counteract this but if he catches a simple cold right now...he could die. We ask that you restrict visitation to him for now mylady. Until we get his illness under control."

From where she stood she could see that he did look better but his breaths still came in labored rasps and he was still quite pale.

IC-Serethiel wanted desperately to be at Conleth's bedside, but she slowly nodded when the healer asked for her and everyone else to stay away from him for now. She walked back to the others and informed them what the healer had told her. They were all quite shocked by the revelation that he had been poisoned. They knew that he wasn't able to please everyone all the time, however, no one could think of anyone who would have a reason to poison him.

"Mother please...you must rest," Nauriel told her mother. "There is nothing you can do right now and you are exhausted."

Serethiel shook her head. "No, I will remain here, but you all should go and rest. I will let you know if anything changes."

The gasps they went around the room were followed by a slew of questions and comments. The King was outraged and actually promised someone's head for this but Nauriel quickly calmed him down. Elessar had looked up to Conleth as a father figure especially when it came to the Phelan women. Phelan women are quite independent and opinionated. They are strong women likely to outlive their male counterparts. Sometimes though...to opinionated and hot headed as well.

"I'll have a pallet made up for you mother," Elessar said and then kissed and hugged her before he had to take his leave. Already the sisters were quartering off Conleth's bed from the rest of the room and two men brought in a small wood burning stove.

Beren and Ithilwen made their goodbyes and it wasn't long before Serethiel was alone with Conleth. "You...clipped my ear when your shot that Orc," he said remembering. It was huge and she shot right over his shoulder and hit it in the face. "I think I can forgive you for that now," he said. He was actually making a joke but it didn't sound like it.

Serethiel wanted to be right up next to Conleth. It seemed like ages to her since she had felt his arms around her and she was unable to sleep knowing he wasn't right next to her. She laid down, but was ready to jump up at any second to get anything he needed. When she heard his voice she looked over to where he was. She couldn't see him, but hearing his voice helped to soothe her to an extent.

"Before that shot I had fired too many arrows to even keep count...but of all the arrows I had fired before then...and even after...that was by far the most important one."

Ithilwen and Beren were shown to a large guest suite by Nauriel before she turned in for the night herself, though she doubted she would be able to sleep much...if at all. Ithilwen unpacked their belongings before starting to change for bed. She sat down in front of the mirror on the vanity, but as she looked at her reflection she could see Beren behind her. She turned and slowly stood and walked over to him. She slipped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest.

OOC-Did we ever want Brandt's clan to figure out that he and Laenaya are actually still alive? I had an idea that maybe if they did they end up kidnapping Aslan, perhaps resulting in a war. Aslan is hidden from Laenaya and Brandt and raised in the clan and doesn't find out until he is nearly an adult that his parent's are actually the one's he has been raised to hate.

ooc-Ooo, we could have that involve a romance also. Maybe a girl of one of the couples.

“I will always be grateful...for that shot too and forever sorry...I was not there for you when the wolves came,” he said sadly. “Somehow, you not being able to hold a bow…” He began and then groaned, something Conleth hardly ever did. He was always so strong when it came to pain. That he made presence of it now was a testament to how much pain he was really in. “I’m...thirsty wife...and tired...so tired,” he said and then was lost again to sleep.

Beren gave her little opportunity to say more. With all that has happened. To hear that someone may have poisoned his father made his blood boil. He grabbed the sides of Ithilwen’s face and rage turned into the flames of desire as he kissed her and set to tear her dress from her flesh. When it was over, he had been a torrent of burning lust that she seemed to soak up like a dry sponge. It had been months since he had made love to her like that. Many elves she knew were painters, sculptors, true artists. Beren though had no hand nor patience for such things save for the art that involved the flesh. He was quite good at that and knew quite well how to pleasure Ithilwen properly. Unlike most elves his passions fed into that and she benefited from it all. He laid there quietly on his back and looked up at the ceiling. Ithilwen was on her side up against him and pleased to find that he was just as breathless as she was.

“Life is too short to deny you what you want Ithilwen. I will give you as many more children as you want and I know i will love them all as the first,” he told her as he turned to look into her eyes.

OOC-I was thinking that maybe he is sent into Gondor on a mission and ends up meeting and falling in love with a girl there. I'm not entirely sure yet how he finds out the truth. Maybe when he is kidnapped he is told as he gets older that his parents were killed and is raised by Brandt's mother and father. Then perhaps after he meets the girl from Minas Tirith he begins to question everything he has been told about Gondor and Rohan and their people and perhaps overhears his adopted parents talking one night and learns the truth.